TVA, TC Energy to Invest $1.25 Million to Study Carbon Capture Technology

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
September 15, 2023

The Tennessee Valley Authority will work with TC Energy to jointly invest $1.25 million to study carbon capture technology to reduce emissions at TVA’s natural gas facilities in Ackerman, Mississippi, and in Drakesboro, Kentucky.

TVA said it is exploring a number of options to decarbonize its power grid, and the goal of the partnership is to conduct a feasibility study to determine the costs, technical challenges, and operational impacts of carbon capture technology. 

Information from this study will be used to assess future asset decisions for the TVA fleet. 

Carbon capture works by sending the exhaust from natural gas power facilities to a CO2 scrubber adjacent to the plant. A chemical reaction absorbs the CO2 before the exhaust is released into the air. 

The CO2 is then pumped to another vessel and treated with heat that releases the CO2. This released CO2 is compressed and sent deep into the earth for safe storage.

TC Energy offers solutions across a wide range of energy areas — from natural gas and renewables to carbon capture and hydrogen.

Other public power utilities are also pursuing carbon capture projects.

This summer, the U.S. Department of Energy announced funding for carbon capture projects that include projects involving Illinois public power utility Springfield City Water, Light and Power.